The first double diffractive cross-section measurement in the very forward region has been carried out by the TOTEM experiment at the LHC with center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=7 TeV. By utilizing the very forward TOTEM tracking detectors T1 and T2, which extend up to |eta|=6.5, a clean sample of double diffractive pp events was extracted. From these events, we measured the cross-section sigma_DD =(116 +- 25) mub for events where both diffractive systems have 4.7 <|eta|_min < 6.5 .

The TOTEM experiment has made a precise measurement of the elastic proton-proton differential cross-section at the centre-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 8 TeV based on a high-statistics data sample obtained with the beta* = 90 optics. Both the statistical and systematic uncertainties remain below 1%, except for the t-independent contribution from the overall normalisation. This unprecedented precision allows to exclude a purely exponential differential cross-section in the range of four-momentum transfer squared 0.027 < |t| < 0.2 GeV^2 with a significance greater than 7 sigma. Two extended parametrisations, with quadratic and cubic polynomials in the exponent, are shown to be well compatible with the data. Using them for the differential cross-section extrapolation to t = 0, and further applying the optical theorem, yields total cross-section estimates of (101.5 +- 2.1) mb and (101.9 +- 2.1) mb, respectively, in agreement with previous TOTEM measurements.

At the LHC energy of $\sqrt s = 7\,{\mathrm { TeV}}$ , under various beam and background conditions, luminosities, and Roman Pot positions, TOTEM has measured the differential cross-section for proton-proton elastic scattering as a function of the four-momentum transfer squared t. The results of the different analyses are in excellent agreement demonstrating no sizeable dependence on the beam conditions. Due to the very close approach of the Roman Pot detectors to the beam center (≈5σ(beam)) in a dedicated run with β* = 90 m, |t|-values down to 5·10(−)(3) GeV(2) were reached. The exponential slope of the differential elastic cross-section in this newly explored |t|-region remained unchanged and thus an exponential fit with only one constant B = (19.9 ± 0.3) GeV(−)(2) over the large |t|-range from 0.005 to 0.2 GeV(2) describes the differential distribution well. The high precision of the measurement and the large fit range lead to an error on the slope parameter B which is remarkably small compared to previous experiments. It allows a precise extrapolation over the non-visible cross-section (only 9%) to t = 0. With the luminosity from CMS, the elastic cross-section was determined to be (25.4 ± 1.1) mb, and using in addition the optical theorem, the total pp cross-section was derived to be (98.6 ± 2.2) mb. For model comparisons the t-distributions are tabulated including the large |t|-range of the previous measurement (TOTEM Collaboration (Antchev G. et al), EPL, 95 (2011) 41001).

Proton-proton elastic scattering has been measured by the TOTEM experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at {\surd}s = 7 TeV in dedicated runs with the Roman Pot detectors placed as close as seven times the transverse beam size (sbeam) from the outgoing beams. After careful study of the accelerator optics and the detector alignment, |t|, the square of four-momentum transferred in the elastic scattering process, has been determined with an uncertainty of d t = 0.1GeV p|t|. In this letter, first results of the differential cross section are presented covering a |t|-range from 0.36 to 2.5GeV2. The differential cross-section in the range 0.36 < |t| < 0.47 GeV2 is described by an exponential with a slope parameter B = (23.6{\pm}0.5stat {\pm}0.4syst)GeV-2, followed by a significant diffractive minimum at |t| = (0.53{\pm}0.01stat{\pm}0.01syst)GeV2. For |t|-values larger than ~ 1.5GeV2, the cross-section exhibits a power law behaviour with an exponent of -7.8_\pm} 0.3stat{\pm}0.1syst. When compared to predictions based on the different available models, the data show a strong discriminative power despite the small t-range covered.

None

The STAR Collaboration reports on the photoproduction of $\pi^+\pi^-$ pairs in gold-gold collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV/nucleon-pair. These pion pairs are produced when a nearly-real photon emitted by one ion scatters from the other ion. We fit the $\pi^+\pi^-$ invariant mass spectrum with a combination of $\rho$ and $\omega$ resonances and a direct $\pi^+\pi^-$ continuum. This is the first observation of the $\omega$ in ultra-peripheral collisions, and the first measurement of $\rho-\omega$ interference at energies where photoproduction is dominated by Pomeron exchange. The $\omega$ amplitude is consistent with the measured $\gamma p\rightarrow \omega p$ cross section, a classical Glauber calculation and the $\omega\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-$ branching ratio. The $\omega$ phase angle is similar to that observed at much lower energies, showing that the $\rho-\omega$ phase difference does not depend significantly on photon energy. The $\rho^0$ differential cross section $d\sigma/dt$ exhibits a clear diffraction pattern, compatible with scattering from a gold nucleus, with 2 minima visible. The positions of the diffractive minima agree better with the predictions of a quantum Glauber calculation that does not include nuclear shadowing than with a calculation that does include shadowing.

Coherent 3 π production on nine different nuclear targets has been studied using a 40 GeV/ c π − beam at the Serpukhov accelerator (CERN-Serpukhov experiment no. 5). The absorption in nuclear matter of the produced system has been measured, analysing the data on the different nuclear targets. Identica results are obtained from the differential cross sections and from the coherent nuclear cross sections. The 1 + waves show a very weak absorption, definitely smaller than 0 − and 2 − waves. No influence on the absorption comes from the spin-flip amplitudes, which have been found to be negligible in the coherent region.

We have studied the diffractive dissociation into di-jets of 500 GeV/c pions scattering coherently from carbon and platinum targets. Extrapolating to asymptotically high energies (where t_{min} approaches 0) we find that when the per-nucleus cross-section for this process is parameterized as $ \sigma = \sigma_0 A^{\alpha} $, $ \alpha $ has values near 1.6, the exact result depending on jet transverse momentum. These values are in agreement with those predicted by theoretical calculations of color-transparency.

Photon diffractive dissociation, $\gamma p \to Xp$, has been studied at HERA with the ZEUS detector using $ep$ interactions where the virtuality $Q^2$ of the exchanged photon is smaller than 0.02 GeV$^2$. The squared four-momentum $t$ exchanged at the proton vertex was determined in the range $0.073<|t|<0.40$ GeV$^2$ by measuring the scattered proton in the ZEUS Leading Proton Spectrometer. In the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy interval $176<W<225$ GeV and for masses of the dissociated photon system $4<M_X<32$ GeV, the $t$ distribution has an exponential shape, $dN/d|t| \propto \exp{(-b|t|)}$, with a slope parameter $b=6.8 \pm 0.9$~(stat.)~$ ^{+1.2}_{-1.1}$~(syst.)~GeV$^{-2}$.

We discuss the structure of the momentum transfer distributions for the diffractive dissociation processes p → n π + , p → Δ ++ π − and K − → K 890 ∗0 π − . In the near-threshold mass region a clear break of slope is found around t ′KK ∼ 0.25 GeV 2 for the two baryonic channels, whereas no comparable structure is seen for the mesonic system. The K → K ∗ π differential cross section exhibits a nearly exponential behaviour up to t ′ pp ∼ 0.6 GeV 2 , falling over three orders of magnitude. The slope variations and breaks are strongly correlated both to the mass region considered and to the decay angle of the fragmentation system.

Cross-sections for diffractive particle production and pseudorapidity distributions of the decay products of diffractive states are presented. The data were obtained with the UA 5 streamer chamber detector at the CERNpp Collider operated in a new pulsed mode yieldingpp interactions at c.m. energies of 900 and 200 GeV. Data recorded with a special trigger designed to select a sample of events enriched in single-diffractive interactions clearly favour apt-limited fragmentation of diffractive states. The cross-section for single-diffractive particle production ϊ was found to be 7.8±0.5±1.1 mb at 900 GeV and 4.8±0.5±0.8 mb at 200 GeV (first error statistical, second systematic). From the pseudorapidity distribution of diffractive states we deduce the average number of charged particles to be 6.5±1.0 at 900 GeV and 4.1±1.1 at 200 GeV. Furthermore we report on our estimates for the cross-section of double-diffractive particle production at both Collider energies.

A study is presented of the process gamma p -->XY, where there is a large rapidity gap between the systems X and Y. Measurements are made of the differential cross section as a function of the invariant mass mx of the system produced at the photon vertex. Results are presented at centre of mass energies of W_gp = 187 GeV and W_gp = 231 GeV, both where the proton dominantly remains intact and, for the first time, where it dissociates. Both the centre of mass energy and the mx~2 dependence of HERA data and those from a fixed target experiment may simultaneously be described in a triple-Regge model. The low mass photon dissociation process is found to be dominated by diffraction, though a sizable subleading contribution is present at larger masses. The pomeron intercept is extracted and found to be alpha_pom(0) = 1.068 \pm 0.016 (stat.) \pm 0.022 (syst.) \pm 0.041 (model), in good agreement with values obtained from total and elastic hadronic and photoproduction cross sections. The diffractive contribution to the process gamma p --> Xp with mx~2 / W_gp~2 < 0.05 is measured to be 22.2 \pm 0.6 (stat.) \pm 2.6 (syst.) \pm 1.7 (model) % of the total gamma p cross section at W_gp = 187 GeV.

We report a measurement of the diffraction dissociation differential cross section d2σSD/dM2dt for p¯p→p¯X at √s =546 and 1800 GeV, M2/s<0.2 and 0≤-t≤0.4 GeV2. Our results are compared to theoretical predictions and to extrapolations from experimental results at lower energies.

The reaction γp→ρfast0pπ+π− has been studied with the linearly polarized 20-GeV monochromatic photon beam at the SLAC Hybrid Facility to test the prediction of s-channel helicity conservation in inelastic diffraction for t’<0.4 (GeV/c)2. In a sample of 1934 events from this reaction, the ρ0 decay-angular distributions and spin-density-matrix elements are consistent with s-channel helicity conservation, the π+π− mass shape displays the same skewing as seen in the reaction γp→pπ+π−, and the pπ+π− mass distribution compares well and scales according to the vector dominance model with that produced in π±p→πfast±pπ+π−.

We present results from a measurement of double diffraction dissociation in $\bar pp$ collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The production cross section for events with a central pseudorapidity gap of width $\Delta\eta^0>3$ (overlapping $\eta=0$) is found to be $4.43\pm 0.02{(stat)}{\pm 1.18}{(syst) mb}$ [$3.42\pm 0.01{(stat)}{\pm 1.09}{(syst) mb}$] at $\sqrt{s}=1800$ [630] GeV. Our results are compared with previous measurements and with predictions based on Regge theory and factorization.

We have studied single diffraction dissociation ( p p→ p X ) in proton-antiproton collisions at √ s =1.8TeV, covering the ranges 3⪅ M X ⪅200 GeV and 0.05⪅| t |⪅0.11 (GeV/ c ) 2 . Parameterizing the production to be of the form dσ ( d t d M 2 X ) = (M 2 X ) −α exp (bt) , we obtain α = 1.13±0.07 and b = 10.5±1.8(GeV/ c ) −2 . The total single diffraction dissociation cross section is 2 σ SD =8.1±1.7 mb. Comparisons are made to previous lower energy data, and to an earlier measurement by us at the same energy.

We study the internal structure of a forward-going pπ + π − π + π − system, with invariant mass in the range 2.5-4 GeV, produced through diffractive dissociation of a beam proton at the ISR. The shape of the system, as seen in its center-of-mass, deviates strongly from isotropic phase space and possesses, rather, a longitudinal structure with a major axis along the incoming proton direction. The final state proton momentum is aligned in the direction of the incoming proton, an effect which becomes more pronounced with increasing diffractive mass.

Photon proton cross sections for elastic light vector meson production, σelνp, inelastic diffractive production, σndνp, non-diffractive production, σdνp, as well as the total cross section, σtotνp, have been measured at an average υp center of mass energy of 180 GeV with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The resulting values are σelνp = 18 ± 7 μb, σdνp = 33 ± 8 μb, σndνp = 91 ± 11 μb, and σtotνp 143 ± 17 μb, where the errors include statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature.

We report the first observation of diffractively produced W bosons. In a sample of W -> e nu events produced in p-barp collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV, we find an excess of events with a forward rapidity gap, which is attributed to diffraction. The probability that this excess is consistent with non-diffractive production is 1.1 10^{-4} (3.8 sigma). The relatively low fraction of W+Jet events observed within this excess implies that mainly quarks from the pomeron, which mediates diffraction, participate in W production. The diffractive to non-diffractive W production ratio is found to be R_W=(1.15 +/- 0.55)%.

A spin-parity analysis is performed of the low-mass (≤ 1.75 GeV/c2) pπ− system in diffractive np→(pπ−)p using new data at 13 GeV/c and 20 GeV/c. In the context of a Deck-plus-resonances model a good fit to the pπ− angular moments is found only if the Gribov-Morrison parity-change rule does not hold and spin states up to j=52 are included. In particular the presence of a considerable fraction of spin-parity ½− state is indicated.

A prism plot analysis of the reaction π − p→p π + π − π − at 16 GeV/ c has been made and the results are compared with those obtained in a similar analysis of the reaction π + p→ p π + π + π − at the same energy. The three dominating reaction mechanisms (pion dissociation, reggeon exchange, proton diffraction dissociation) appear to be well separated, while considerable residual overlaps are present inside these classes. The prism plot method is discussed as a means for detecting hidden structures and some evidence is presented for a broad three-pion enhancement around 2 GeV decaying primarily into ϱ 0 π − .

We report results on a new measurement of the double diffractive reaction pp → (p π + π − ) (p π + π − ) at the ISR obtained with the Split Field Magnet detector. Experimental procedures and data analysis are discussed in detail. The cross section measured at the five standard ISR energies exhibits an increase of (55 ± 7)% in the s -range from 549 to 3892 GeV 2 .

We have measured the charge-exchange reaction pp → (p π + ) (p π − ) at s = 23, 31, 45, 53, and 63 GeV at the ISR, using the Split Field Magnet detector. The data are characterized by a sharp forward peak of width 0.02 (GeV/ c ) 2 , followed by a much gentler slope at higher | t |; sizeable Δ ++ , Δ 0 , and N 0 production is observed in the (Nπ) mass spectra. Two different components are present in the data following power-law energy dependence of the type p lab − n with n 1 = −1.63 ± 0.13 and n 2 = −0.96 ± 0.07, respectively, indicating the onset of mechanisms in competition with pion exchange at ISR energies.

Neutron diffraction dissociation has been measured at the ISR in proton-neutron interactions at 37 GeV c.m. energy. The data were taken with the Split Field Magnet detector, during a short deuteron storage test run with colliding p-d beams. Differential mass and momentum transfer distributions are reported; the value of the total cross-section shows a weak s -dependence when compared to lower energy data.

Neutron-neutron interactions have been observed at the CERN ISR with deutron colliding beams. The double - diffraction dissociation process →(p π p − )( pπ − ) has been measured with the Split Field Magnet at √ s = 26 GeV detecting all final state particles, including the two spectator protons. Mass and t distributions are presented and compared with corresponding spectra observed in single neutron diffraction in the same energy range with supporting evidence for factorization. The cross-section of the process is 11.5±2.8 μ b and can be directly related to the corresponding value for double diffraction dissociation of protons in the same energy range.